Separately, about 300 protesters stoned the home of state education minister Peerzada Mohammad Sayeed, who escaped injury, a police officer said. His guards fired at the demonstrators, wounding five, the officer said.

The violence came as a poll in the Hindustan Times showed two-thirds of people living in Kashmir want independence, with less than one in 10 wanting to merge with Pakistan.

But the survey showed that residents of the Hindu-majority Jammu and the mostly Buddhist Ladakh regions did not share this desire for independence.

The anti-India protests erupted hours after police accused a key separatist leader of treason for allegedly inciting participants in a rally to torch government offices a day earlier.

Separatist leader Mirwaiz Umar Farooq could face the death sentence or life imprisonment if prosecutors proceed with charges against him and he is convicted. However, police have brought similar cases against other separatist leaders in the past and they have rarely been pursued.

After leading a special prayer on Saturday marking the end of the Muslim fasting month of Ramadan, Farooq asked worshippers to march in Srinagar, the main city. Some protesters later attacked and burned a building housing the offices of the state police and electricity department.

Shiv Murari Sahai, a senior police officer, said police were investigating those responsible for the violence.

Farooq today denied inciting people to burn the government offices. The accusation "is a desperate attempt to dilute the political significance of thousands of Kashmiris who gathered ... demanding their right to self determination," he said.